Every nurse at Warren Cancer Care Center is special. Each one moves at hyper speed changing IV’s, checking vitals, monitoring patient wellbeing – while sharing a kind word with patients. I could write a sweet story about each of them. Today I nominate one nurse in particular for a DAISY, Kathy Kesterholt, for an extraordinary act of compassion.

In July 2021 my husband was in Month 22 of near-biweekly chemo for metastatic pancreatic cancer. It was tough. For the first time, Chemo (Gemzar/Abraxene) was making his beard thin and fall out. Watching it slowly fall out was distressing for him. He grew his beard in 1979 and had not shaved it off in 42 years. He kept it neatly trimmed and it was important to him. We think about women losing their hair during cancer treatment, but it is equally hard on men.

My husband was looking at an old photo of himself that July day. The photo highlighted his lush, beautiful beard, and he was talking softly to himself about how sad it was that it was falling out. His nurse, Kathy, was bustling around him changing his chemo IV’s and started to walk away…when she stopped. She paused, turned around and came back to him. She gently asked to see his photo. She asked him about his beard and about his feelings seeing it fall out. I think she suggested that maybe it was time to shave it off, so he could take control of the situation. I wish I could remember Kathy’s words exactly. I can’t, but I do know this.

Kathy and my husband looked deeply at each other during this conversation. She spoke to him from the heart. He was listening and that evening, he quietly assembled his shaving gear and shaved his beard off for the first time in 42 years. It was not easy for him to do that.

Kathy’s compassion and thoughtful words made the difference for him. She helped my husband face yet another emotional turning point with cancer with calm resolve. I will forever remember Kathy’s kindness to my husband with gratitude.

On a lighter note, most of my husband's chemo sessions ended with Kathy tapping him on the back as he walked out of the infusion room while she sang, “Hit the road, Jack” (the Percy Mayfield/Ray Charles song). They would both chuckle. The ritual meant a lot to him. Kathy was at the right place/time to do it as often as she could. Congratulations Kathy Kesterholt RN, Warren General Hospital is honored to have an exceptional nurse like you, working here.